Kill Shot
by Ms Musician
Summary: Based on the NDF book, Don't Look Twice. What if Nancy's kidnapping hadn't been a mistake after all?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing, don't sue!

Enjoy the story, everyone. Hopefully next chapter will be longer.

* * *

Two hours and counting. That is how long she had been missing. Two hours and no word from her at all.

Nella Sampson was standing over the kitchen sink, filling up mugs for hot chocolate. She knew that to keep her sanity she needed to keep busy. In the next room, George was seated on the sofa; Dave was sprawled out on the floor; Denise was sitting in a cushioned chair looking extremely annoyed and Ned was pacing the floor very nervously. The room remained almost dead quiet with the exception of the occasional soft _crack_ of the warm fire in the fireplace.

When the group had arrived two hours earlier, they reported to Nella that Nancy was missing. They had looked all around the restaurant for her, inside and out. But finally, a waiter had told them it was a practical joke. They finally decided to come to the Sampson's house to wait.

But that was two hours ago. If her disappearance really _was_ a joke, it had gone on far too long.

Nancy's purse and coat had been left behind. Her friends had brought it back with them when they left the restaurant. Leaving her purse behind was understandable. But Nancy leaving her coat wasn't quite as understandable. It was cold outside—only a few degrees above freezing, in fact. Going anywhere without a coat was foolish.

Nella shook her head as she dumped packets of coco mix into each mug. She stirred each one before putting them on a tray and returning to the living room, where the anxious teenagers, eager for something to calm their nerves, swarmed her.

"None of you has heard from her?" Nella asked. They all shook their heads.

"I can't believe she would do something like this," George said.

"Are you sure we shouldn't at least call the police?" Dave asked. "She's been missing for over two hours. And anyone would begin getting tired of a practical joke after two hours. I have a feeling that there's more to this than it seems."

"Well, you're wrong," Denise said. "They said at the restaurant that it was a practical joke. Why would they lie about it?"

"It's just not like her, that's all," George said. She glanced at Ned. "Ned, take a seat. Losing it isn't going to get us anywhere."

Ned stopped pacing and hesitated, just a moment, before deciding against it and continuing to pace. "We should look for her again," he said. "If something happened to her—"

Suddenly, the telephone rang, and everyone, stunned by the sudden noise, jumped. Nella answered the phone before it could even finish ringing once.

"Hello?"

"Nella?"

"Nancy! Where are you? We've been worried sick."

The room was dead quiet behind Nella as she listened. "I-I need to speak to Ned," Nancy replied. "Is he there?"

"Yes. Just a minute." Nella turned away from the phone and toward Ned. She held out the phone and he took it.

"Nancy, are you all right? Where are you?"

But the voice he heard on the other line wasn't Nancy. Instead, an uncanny, mechanical voice came over the phone.

"Good evening, Mr. Nickerson. First, I must say congratulations on your win. You must be excited for the championship."

"Where is she?" Ned asked.

The caller continued as if he hadn't even heard Ned. "Of course the championship must bring on pressure for Emerson's star player."

"Where is she?" Ned asked again, his voice full of force and anger—the anger that was slowly slipping out of his control as he realized the reality and actual danger of the situation.

"Not to worry. Your girlfriend is safe—for now. Now it's time to think about what you value more—the championship, or Ms. Drew's life."

Ned's heart began to pound faster and faster. The kidnapper continued.

"Lose the championship, Nickerson—or you'll never see your lovely girlfriend alive again."

The line went dead.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi! So I totally suck at mystery stories, so yes, the culprit is going to be revealed in this chapter. Sorry. Hope you still read and enjoy! :) More to come soon.

* * *

The next morning, Ned awoke to the sound of his teammates' chatter as they trudged down the hall toward their early morning practice in the gymnasium. As Ned sat up and rubbed his eyes wearily, he almost thought that everything that had happened the night before was a dream. The game, the restaurant, the ransom—all of it washed away after a short but deep sleep. It was his friend's voice that brought him back to reality.

"Hey, Nickerson, up and at 'em! Time for practice!"

"Hey, leave him alone. He's been through a lot," Dave said. The others grumbled something before continuing their trip to the gym. Dave, however, stopped in the doorway.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey. I'm coming. You don't have to wait up for me."

"I know." Dave didn't move. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

Ned shook his head. "Hardly at all. I feel…"

"Miserable?"

"Yeah. Miserable." He rubbed a hand over his face. "I just want this to be over. I want it to go away."

Dave sighed. "We've got to tell coach about this. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"I'll go with you to tell him, if you want," Dave offered.

For the first time, Ned offered a small smile. "Thanks. I might take you up on that offer." He stood. "As for now, I've got to get ready."

Dave turned to leave. "See you soon.

* * *

Ned had barely walked through the gymnasium doors before Coach Burnett called him over to talk privately.

"I heard something happened last night after that game. Something about a kidnapping," the coach said. "What's going on?"

Ned nodded. "We don't know how, but last night at Puccini's, someone kidnapped Nancy. The kidnappers called and said if we win the championship Monday, they'll kill her."

The coach sighed. "Any ideas as to who this creep is?"

"None, sir."

"And the police? Have they been called?"

"Nella Sampson called the police last night. They've been working on the case all night. The one phone call we got wasn't long enough to trace. They've got nothing so far."

After a moment of considering, the coach said, "We're going to practice, as usual. We're going to prepare for the game Monday. If she shows up before Monday, we'll be prepared. But if not…" he sighed. "We'll be prepared for a hard loss."

* * *

When Nancy woke up, she found herself in a dark room. A small strip of light provided by the moon showed through the window. She tried to push herself up to a sitting position, but without success—her arms were uselessly tied behind her back, and any sudden movement made her feel disoriented from the after-effects of the drugs the kidnappers had given her.

How did I get here? Who even knows that I'm here?

Suddenly, the door opened, and someone entered. Nancy turned her head and found herself staring into a familiar pair of dark eyes.

"Bernard Corbett," she said.

His clothes were rumpled and torn, and his dark hair was mussed from the struggle, but she immediately recognized her captor.

"Nancy Drew. How nice of you to finally join us," he replied.

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

"Oh, not from you," he replied. He stepped closer to her. "From your boyfriend."

Nancy shifted from her position on the floor and finally managed to push herself up. "So it's true? The money? The betting?"

"Now, Ms. Drew, you of all people should know there's a lot of betting going on behind closed doors. It just so happens that we have the resources to guarantee a losing game. Kidnapping the best player's girlfriend will cause quite a bit of a distraction, don't you think?"

"Very well thought out," she said.

Bernard glanced at his watch. "Well, Ms. Drew, as fun as this has been, it's time for me to go. Until later…" he snapped his fingers.

Two men entered the room. One of them held her down while the other held a cloth over her nose and mouth. She lost consciousness almost immediately.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one.

I finally updated! Yay! Enjoy!

* * *

She was falling.

That was how Nancy felt as she lay in a hazy-state, sprawled across the back seat of a car. She couldn't open her eyes—her body wouldn't allow it. As she fought off the darkness threatening to take over her, she listened to the conversation of her kidnappers.

"What day is the championship?"

"It's coming up, don't worry."

"I can't wait until we get our hands on that money. After Friday—paradise!"

"Wait," a third voice cut in. "What if Nickerson doesn't follow through with it? What if they win on Friday? I mean, you know how some athletes can be—so concerned about their sports that they forget about anything—or anyone—else."

"Well, then, I guess we'll just have to find something to do with his girlfriend then, won't we?" the first man said. Nancy shivered at the thought.

Suddenly, one of the men said, "Hey, boss, she's coming to."

At this point, Nancy had managed to open her eyes about half way. Immediately, her detective instincts kicked in, and she began to take everything that she could in: the ripped seats, the stained carpet, an old-fashioned window that had to be put down by hand, and a man kneeling on the floor next to her. Blue eyes met piercing black as captive and captor boldly met eyes. But the look in his eyes was far from the ordinary, every-day kidnapper look. Instead, his eyes showed an almost regretful look.

She wasn't able to think about this long.

"Put her under. We've still got a ways to go. Give her just enough to knock her out for the trip—wouldn't want to overdose the money."

The kidnappers laughed. A moment later, a cloth was slapped over Nancy's nose and mouth, and she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Days passed by. The police were constantly in and out of the Sampson's home, most of the time monitoring who goes in and out of the house or any and all telephone calls.

"This is crazy. It's been five days and they can't find anything. It's like they've disappeared off the face of the Earth with her!" George said.

"I know." Ned sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "The championship is in two days. I just hope the kidnappers goes through with their end of the deal."

George gave him a quick hug. "She'll be fine," she assured him. "She's always come out alright in the end before. This won't be any different."

Suddenly, Nella entered the room. "Mr. Drew called," she said. "He's upset the police haven't found anything yet."

Ned stood. "Well, in two days, hopefully we'll get her back."

"I swear, if I get my hands on this kidnapper, he'll regret the day he was born," Nella said. "Do you know what hell this has been? I mean, I know you all are most likely used to this by now—"

"That's for sure," George muttered.

"—but I'm not. I can't stand this stress. I—" she broke off as the telephone rang. She answered it before it could finish the first ring.

"Sampson residence."

"I need to speak to Mr. Nickerson," a mechanical voice replied. Nella handed over the phone.

"Alright Nickerson – here are your instructions."

* * *

"Everyone gather around," Coach Barnett said. The entire basketball team huddled around their coach.

It was Friday – the day of the championship, and ultimately the day of life or death.

"All of you have heard by now of Nancy Drew's kidnapping. Her kidnapper's terms are that we lose this championship." A groan was let out by the team, but the coach cut them off. "This is a true matter of life or death. Think of all Nancy's done for all of us. Anyone who's willing to put the championship before someone's life - especially hers - can leave now." No one moved. "Good. Our goal here is to lose this game by a mere four points – no more, no less. Got it?" The team nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

The game was the most intense game of their entire season. The Wildcats played hard, but the other team played harder. It was a struggle to keep up their four-point range. By half time, the Wildcats were down by seven.

"Come on, boys, we've got to get three more points, then hold them off. You're doing great – don't stop now."

They started third quarter off by shooting a three-point shot right away. The other team countered by shooting a similar shot of their own. Just like siblings bickering between one another, the teams seemed to quarrel – for every shot the Wildcats made, the opponent made the same. By fourth quarter, they still needed a three point shot. They took their last time-out.

"This is it! We need this shot," Ned said.

"Alright. They've got the ball. Thirty seconds left. We have to get the ball back. Now, it's going to be very fast paced, so be ready; be open; and no matter what, shoot for three."

The buzzer rang, announcing the end of the final timeout. The players took their places on the court.

They played harder in those last few seconds than at all of their games combined. All of the stress and worry took over Ned, and he suddenly needed to take it out on someone; anyone. That person happened to be the player with the basketball. It took everything he had in him not to tackle the young man who was coming between Ned and his girlfriend. Ned stole the ball and immediately sprinted toward their goal.

Five seconds left.

Memories flashed through Ned's mind in those last few moments.

The first moment he saw Nancy.

_Four seconds._

Their first kiss.

_Three seconds._

Their first 'I love you.'

_Two seconds._

The last time he held her in his arms.

_One second._

He was barely half court, but he knew he had to shoot. As the ball flew through the air, Ned silently prayed. If it didn't go in, it was all over.


	4. Chapter 4

They lost that night, in more ways than one.

Ned's teammates blamed the stress and pressure. Ned knew there was no time to determine what was to blame for his missed shot; they needed to find Nancy before the kidnappers could kill her.

As soon as the last buzzer sounded announcing the end of the game, Ned pushed his way through the crowd of fans that had flooded the floor and left the gymnasium. Moments later, he was alone in the locker room. He punched the locker bank in frustration.

Seven points. They had lost by seven points. Soon, those seven points would take Nancy Drew's life.

Suddenly, the locker room door opened, and the coach entered, followed by the remaining team members. All were silent.

"Everyone, gather around," the coach said. The team knelt on the locker room floor; Ned joined by taking his place next to Dave. Coach Barnett stood in the middle. He sighed heavily. "You all played hard. You played harder during this game than at any game you've played before. Unfortunately, we didn't meet our four-point loss." The coach fell quiet.

"What do we do now?" a teammate asked.

"They're going to kill her," Ned said. "That game was televised. They could have killed her as soon as I missed that shot. Unless she's found right away, there's nothing else we can do." He sighed. "It's all in God's Hands now."

The entire locker room, for the first time, was completely silent. Finally, Coach Barnett softly said, "Let's pray."

* * *

No one slept that night. Nella stayed in the kitchen, her hands wrapped around a cup of hot chocolate gone completely cold as she stared, completely dazed, into nothingness. _What will I tell her father?_

George tossed and turned in bed, dozing off occasionally, only to imagine where Nancy was, if she was alive…

And finally, Ned stood in front of the dorm room window, gazing at the bright stars. _If I had only made that shot._

It was going to be a very long night.

* * *

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Nella asked the next morning.

George rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Not very well," she admitted. "I can't believe this is it. A little over a week ago, I saw one of my best friends for the last time."

"The police may still find her," Nella said hopefully.

"Yeah," George scoffed. "Right."

Nella sighed and stood. "Do you want something to eat?" she asked.

"No. I'm supposed to meet Ned and Dave this morning. We're going to the police station to check on their progress." She stood and removed her coat from the hook on the wall. "Don't wait up for me if I'm not home for lunch, okay?"

"Alright. Good-bye."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Ned, Dave, and George were sitting in a detective's office

"We've been working on this case since late last night," the detective said. "Ten tips, all leading to nothing." He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "We did have several reports of a man – tall with dark hair, wearing gloves – carrying an unconscious woman to an idling car, just outside Puccini's. However, we never got a consistent description of the car or a license plate number."

"So what do we do now?"

"We've arranged a search this afternoon – all but a few officers along with volunteers are searching all over the city."

Ned's heart sank. A search meant they weren't looking for a missing person anymore; they were looking for a body.

"What time are they leaving?" George asked.

"Noon."

"We'll be there."

* * *

They didn't have to wait until noon.

At ten thirty that morning, a police chase ensued after a man ran a red light. The chase lasted over half an hour on the interstate. At exactly eleven fifteen, the chase ended when the man swerved to miss a semi truck going through a light. The car went into the ditch and overturned several times before coming to rest on its left side.

Immediately, officers swarmed the car, prepared for the driver to take off on foot. But inside the car, no one moved.

An ambulance arrived within minutes. There was another man in the passenger seat, they soon discovered. Both were unconscious, and both were trapped in the car. As rescue workers frantically worked on removing the top of the car, officers soon found out why the man had fled like he had.

A young woman, bound and gagged, was unconscious in the back of the car.

* * *

Review?


	5. Chapter 5

An hour later, Ned, George, Dave, and Nella and her husband were gathered in the local hospital waiting room.

In one corner of the room sat Dave and George, talking softly. In another corner, Nella was on a payphone with Nancy's father, and Mr. Sampson was speaking to a detective. And in the middle of the waiting room, Ned paced from wall to wall anxiously.

Nancy and her captors had been brought in with serious injuries, with all but the passenger being in critical condition.

"How long have they been in there?" George asked finally.

Dave glanced at the clock. "Two hours."

"Shouldn't they be done by now?"

"The doctor said she has internal bleeding," Dave replied. "Surgery could last several hours if there are several injuries causing it."

George sighed. Dave put his arm around her; instinctively, George rested her head against his shoulder. He didn't pull away.

"She'll be alright," he said.

"I hope so," George replied. She glanced at Ned. "I think Ned needs to hear that more than anyone, though."

Dave's gaze went to his friend, who still, after two hours, paced the floor. "Ned, sit down. Worrying isn't going to help her."

Ned continued to pace. The only indication he heard him was a small grunt and the slight shake of the head.

Suddenly, the waiting room scene changed. Nella finished her conversation with Carson Drew and hung up; Mr. Sampson and the detective parted ways; and finally, a doctor emerged from the emergency room.

"Nella Sampson?"

"Yes, that's me," Nella said as she turned toward the doctor. "How is Nancy? Is she alright?"

"The surgery was successful. Ms. Drew is recovering now. The accident also left her with a concussion and several broken bones, but overall, she should recover just fine."

Nella closed her eyes and sighed deeply in relief. "Thank God," she said.

"Can we see her now?" Ned asked.

The doctor nodded. "She's not conscious yet, but you may visit her. Ten minutes only, and one visitor at a time."

The doctor told them her room number before disappearing back into the emergency room.

* * *

A few minutes later, Ned was standing by Nancy's bed, gently holding her hand; he didn't dare to do more. The sight of the oxygen tubes, the IV, and multiple casts scared him.

Suddenly, a slight groan escaped Nancy's lips.

"Nancy."

Her eyebrows creased deeply. "No," she mumbled. "No, you can't—don't—"

Ned squeezed her hand gently. "Nan, baby, you're alright. You're safe," he said. Suddenly, her eyes fluttered open slowly. Ned hesitated a moment before gently resting his hand on her cheek.

"Ned," she replied. Though she wasn't quite completely conscious, she put her uninjured arm around Ned; he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. It was when he began to gently stroke her hair that she broke down.

Ned kissed the top of her head. "You're safe now," he said softly. "You're going to be alright."

* * *

Nancy was released several days later.

The amazing fact was that everyone picked up exactly where they had left off. The kidnapping was not brought up, nor was the championship. Everything seemed to fall back into place.

Almost everything.

The group went to Puccini's for dinner the evening Nancy was released from the hospital. It was a celebration of a pure miracle. Nancy couldn't help but notice, however, that Ned was unusually quiet. She squeezed his hand. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

He nodded. "I'm fine," he replied.

She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "No, you aren't."

A waitress suddenly approached the table with plates of pasta and pizza. Ned managed to give his girlfriend a smile as he quietly said, "We can talk later. But now – we celebrate."

The dinner was marvelous. The pizza truly was the best in Chicago. When the last piece was gone, they all leaned back in their chairs, completely full.

"That has to be the best pizza I've had in a long time," Dave said.

"Definitely," Nella agreed."I'll have to bring my husband here sometime."

"So what do you want to do now?"

"I think we should get Nancy home," George said. "She needs a little time to relax."

Nancy opened her mouth to protest, but George put her hand up to stop her. "You're going home," she said. "End of discussion."

Nella grinned. "You heard the girl," she said. "Let's head out."

* * *

An hour later, Ned and Nancy were alone in the Sampson's living room. It was quiet with the exception of the occasional _pop _coming from the fireplace. They were on the couch; Ned's arm was around Nancy, and she rested her head gently against his shoulder. Finally, very reluctantly, Nancy broke the silence.

"What's been bothering you, Ned?" she asked.

He shook his head. "It's nothing. Really."

She laced her fingers through his with her uninjured hand. "Tell me."

Ned sighed deeply. Finally, he said, "They could have killed you."

Nancy sat up. "That's what's been bothering you? Ned—"

"It would have been my fault. I missed that shot. You almost died because of me."

"But I didn't. Everything turned out all right." She laced her fingers through Ned's with her uninjured hand and brought Ned's hand up to kiss it. "I saw that game," she said. "You and your team—you worked so hard at that game." She sighed. "I will admit, when I saw that missed shot, I started to get worried. So did Bernard and his accomplices. But everything is fine now."

"I know." Ned kissed Nancy gently. He glanced at the clock. "Coach said the team is meeting at eight for some meeting. I've got to head out." He stood, and Nancy followed suit.

"Alright," she said. "Drive careful."

"I will." Ned gave Nancy a quick kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said.

"Sounds good. I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye."


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry if the ending sucks. I tried... :-/ I didn't want to make it too mushy, because I hate it when I read mushy romance stories. But hopefully you all aren't disappointed. Enjoy this final chapter! :)

* * *

The next evening, Nancy and George prepared to leave the Sampson's home. They packed their bags the night before except for a change of clothes for the next day, and arose early with hopes of making it home before the incoming snow storm came.

"Nancy, George, must you go so soon?" Nella asked.

Nancy smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid so. We don't want have to drive in snow and ice. The storm is supposed to be hitting River Heights at noon, so we've got to be home before then."

Nella nodded. She hugged them both. "Well, thank you both for visiting. Come back any time."

"We'll come back soon. Thank you for everything." Nancy turned to George. "Ready?"

George nodded and picked up her luggage. "Let's head out."

The girls waved a last goodbye before loading their luggage into their car and driving away.

"So." George propped her feet up. "It's a straight shot home now, right?"

"Actually, there's one stop I want to make first," Nancy replied.

George sighed and rolled her eyes. "Ned?" she said.

Nancy smiled as she made a left turn. "Yeah. It's important."

* * *

As Nancy walked down the hallway of the dormitory Ned was staying at, she couldn't help but notice that almost every door on the floor was open. Inside, young men were packing their bags, preparing for the trip home. When she approached Ned's door, however, she found it closed.

"That's strange," she said. She knocked on the door. "It's open," Ned answered.

Nancy pushed through the door. When Ned saw her, he smiled. "Hey, babe." He took her in his arms and kissed her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were leaving early this morning."

"Well, since you're going back to Emerson, and I'm going back to River Heights, I knew the next time we'd see each other would be Christmas, so I decided to stop by."

"I'm glad you did. I have something for you." Ned reached in his pocket and removed a velvet box. He placed it in her hand. "I saw it at the store and had to get it."

She opened the box, revealing a diamond bracelet. From it hung a fairly large heart-shaped charm along with several other smaller hearts. "Ned, it's beautiful," she said. She wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you so much."

Ned kissed the top of her head. "I knew you'd love it," he said.

For a long moment, he held her gently. Neither of them spoke, scared of breaking the moment. Finally, Nancy pulled away. She took a deep breath and bluntly asked,"Ned, are you okay?"

Ned looked her in the eyes. "Of course," he said. "I'm fine. Why?"

"I just want to make sure. I'm worried about you, that's all."

Ned took a seat on the bed and pulled Nancy down with him. He grinned. "You're going to be the death of me yet, Nancy Drew."

Nancy rolled her eyes. "It's not my fault I get kidnapped every couple months."

"Weeks," Ned corrected her.

They lay on the bed together in each other's arms. Then, Ned kissed her like never before, leaving them both breathless. When they parted, it was reluctantly. He gently rested his hand on her cheek. "I'm going to be fine, if you can promise me that you'll be more careful. Just – try to stay out of trouble, and don't get yourself kidnapped. I can't go through that again. Not anytime soon, that is."

Nancy laughed. "I promise." She glanced at the bedside clock. "George is waiting for me in the car. I should get going." She stood.

Ned did the same and gave her one last hug. "See you at Christmas then?"

Nancy smiled. "It's a date."


End file.
